Following the sentencing of Jordan Linden today, a spokesperson for the Board of the Scottish Youth Parliament said:
“SYP recognises the seriousness of this case and the concern it has caused, and we reiterate that our thoughts remain with those who were harmed by Linden’s actions.
“SYP remains committed to maintaining a safe environment for all young people and to continually improving its safeguarding practice.”
“SYP twice commissioned external investigations into how we handled allegations made against Linden in 2016, which established there was no evidence of criminality based on the information we had at that time, and that we had properly followed procedures and guidelines in place.
“In November 2017, we also referred fresh allegations to Police Scotland, which is responsible for investigating potential criminality, and it later confirmed that no criminality had been established and its inquiry concluded.
“After further allegations emerged in 2022, the SYP fully supported Police Scotland and the Crown Office investigation, which subsequently led to Linden’s conviction.
“Throughout this period, SYP referred concerns to the appropriate authorities and cooperated fully with external investigations.
“Our safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures have been reviewed and strengthened on a regular basis, including in 2016, 2018, 2021 and 2024, with further updates planned this year.”
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